Finding Mai
by angeldemonpinkpup
Summary: Arnold's Christmas told from alternating Mai and Helga's POV's


Helga's pov:  
It is 6am. The sun is barely starting to rise and I can see the pale yellow streaks glow between the buildings at ground level. Pale pink light is starting to creep its way up to the still dark sky. Beautiful snowflakes dance in the air. They catch the gleam of the sun, reflecting light like miniature diamonds cascading to the earth. I stomp my way through the city streets. The snow has seeped into my socks, soaking my now frozen feet. I have been walking so long. I don't notice the chill anymore. My arms are crossed over my chest and I breathe deeply knowing I still have quite a way to go.  
Her house is on the other side of the city. An hour's walk from here. Why am I doing this to myself? The answer is simple really. I'm doing it for him. The love of my life. The Romeo to my Juliet. My greatest treasure and the one thing I live for. Arnold. The boy whose emerald eyes sparkle with warmth and kindness. Whose actions are those of a true knight. Fighting for justice. Rallying our peers to always do the right thing. Arnold. The boy I would gladly walk to the end of the earth and back for. Arnold. My love.  
I am glad no one is awake to see me do this. After all, it's not like Helga G. Pataki to wander the streets of Hillwood at 6am. I'm never up this early. Especially in winter. Today of all days. It is Christmas Day and I am out looking for someone who, until recently, meant nothing to me. Yesterday, if you had asked me who Mai Hyunh is, I would have popped you in the face and said, "What do I look like, a social worker?!" or something to that effect. Today, she is the daughter of a man who happens to live with Arnold in Sunset Arms Boarding House. And seeing that Mr. Hyunh reunites with his daughter is the one thing Arnold wants. So I, in the spirit of Christmas, will grant my love his one wish.  
I will trudge through the snow at 6am on Christmas morning. I will find Mai and bring her to Sunset Arms. I will do it all before my dimwitted parents even realize I'm gone.

Mai's pov:  
It is that time of year. The streets are blanketed with snow. Winter has always been my favorite season. The snow gleaming on the ground under the light of the moon always brings a smile to my face. Except that this year has been especially hard. I am a social worker. A good one. I've helped every kid I've ever seen come in and I haven't been in the game too long, either. I don't have much of a social life. My job keeps me busy. There's nothing I love more than walking into the office. One case solved, another one just getting started. I guess what I love most is seeing the joy on the children's faces after being reunited with their biological parents or getting adopted by a loving couple. I've thought about finding my own parents a few times, but I've never actually tried.  
I loved my adopted parents. They were an older couple when they adopted me. Never had kids of their own and to the best of my knowledge, never really wanted one. One day though, my mother at the tender age of 47 found her maternal clock ticking. A little late, perhaps, but it worked out for everyone involved. My father loved my mother. He had accepted that she did not want kids when they had first gotten together. Years later, he had put up a fight about adopting. Why, all of a sudden was his wife interested in raising a child? He had said no. My mother resorted to giving him the face. The one thing she knew her husband could never resist. And a few weeks later, I had become a part of their small family. Growing up, I had seen the face in action. I smiled fondly as I remembered my mom wanting something. My father would put his foot down and absolutely refuse. Then she used the face. Tears would form at the corners of her pretty blue eyes, her lips would tremble…eventually I would count backwards from five until he gave in. He would stomp away in fake fury, glance over his shoulder and yell, "BUT THIS IS THE LAST TIME, I SWEAR!" My mother and I would exchange a smirk and continue on like nothing happened.  
Then, a few months ago, my mother was hospitalized for a heart condition. She had several surgeries and had seemed stable. And then she died for no apparent reason. The doctors were flabbergasted, as my dad would've said. Except, shortly after his wife's death, he too passed. His life meant nothing without her. I never blamed him. At the age of 30, I am still single with no immediate plans for marriage or a family of my own. I had hoped he would walk me down the aisle. He wouldn't have been happy though. He would've pretended for me, but that would never be enough.  
It's my first Christmas without them. I have never been very good at making friends and every year I'd spend Christmas with them. Now, I am alone. My apartment lacks any festive decorations. I didn't have the heart to go pulling any out of a box I got the day the lawyer read their will. They had given everything they owned to me. It is all in storage. I pull my robe tighter to my body. The emptiness of my apartment is depressing and I now regret not decorating something. It's too late now.  
Maybe I should've looked harder for my biological parents. Maybe then I wouldn't have to be alone today. I often thought about finding them, but I like the childhood I had. I wouldn't trade it for the world. My parents were amazing, I didn't feel the need to look for my "real" ones. Though I know that's not the only reason.  
My parents lived in Vietnam when I was born. A war was raging and people were fleeing the country left and right. Formal documents practically don't exist from that time. I am one of thousands of babies found by American soldiers and brought to this city. There is no record to look for. The case was a dead end before I even started. Of course the fact that my parents let me keep my original name should've helped, but it's amazing how many other Hyunhs' live in this country. I wouldn't know where to start. There is also the possibility that my parents never wanted me at all. That I was found, abandoned by the side of a road or in a ditch by the soldier who brought me here. Or worse, they could be dead. I think that the idea of rejection by my birth parents scared me into never really trying to look for them.  
Shaking any thoughts of my parents out of my head, I walk downstairs to sit on my couch and watch mind-numbing T.V. all day. I've got nothing better to do. Then, something, some weird feeling makes me turn around and head for the bathroom. I don't know why, but I feel the inexplicable need to take a shower and get myself dolled up. For what, I'm not entirely sure, but I feel like something important is coming my way.

Helga's pov:  
I head for the downtown district. It's about 6:45 now. And the city is still eerily quiet. There are no children playing. There are no cars. The rush of Christmas Eve is over. There are no more frantic shoppers buying last minute gifts. Everything is closed. Soon, little children will spring from their beds and rush downstairs to see what Santa Claus has brought them. Their parents will sit back with smiles on their faces, reminiscing or enjoying each other's presence.  
Meanwhile, I am searching for the one building that contains the one person in the entire city that will make my all-nighter and frozen feet worthwhile. Suddenly, a magenta building comes into view. My gut tells me she's there, but I check the paper Mr. Bailey gave me. Yep! It's the right building. I concentrate on what I'm going to say. I have a long, detailed, beautiful speech planned and I have to get it right. I've been thinking it over and over in my head and now's the time for all of my hard work to pay off.

Mai's pov:  
I have finished putting on my best black dress and red coat. My hair is perfectly dried and styled the way I like it. I stand in the mirror and admire my reflection. It's occurred to me that I'm all dressed up with nowhere to go. I shrug. Grab my little black heels and head back downstairs. I go to the kitchen to pour myself a cup of coffee when I hear a knock on my door. I look at the time on the stove. _No, that can't be right._ I rub my eyes and look back at the clock. It is 7am. _Who could be knocking on my door at seven in the morning?_ Normally, I'd ignore it. However, my instincts tell me it's important.  
I open the door to find a girl panting on my doorstep. She looks awful. Her pale golden hair is in two straggly pigtails hanging at a bizarre angle from the sides of her head. Her azure blue eyes have bags under them and she looks sleep deprived. Her purple dress is plastered to her soaked body. A giant brown coat seems to be swallowing her up and on her feet I notice she has nothing but drenched socks. She seems to be frowning at me. Her one brow is creased and she hugs herself tightly. Then, before I know what's happening, she stomps past me into my front hallway and takes a look around.  
I stare at her curiously. For awhile I believe she may be one of the kids from social services. Then she looks at me and blurts out: "I know where your father is!" I'm stunned. Did she really just say-?  
"Pardon?"  
"I—I –know where –your –f-father l-li-lives." She pants out.  
She frowns further when she sees the confused look on my face.  
"Oh, FOR CRYING OUT—Listen! You're father lives in a boarding house with this boy I know and all he wants for Christmas is to see you two reunited. I can see that you're all alone, so come with me if you want to spend this most wonderful of days with the man who has been looking for you for thirty years—CRIMINEY!" She babbled, dramatically.  
I had every intention to kick her out of my apartment, call the cops, anything to get this strange girl to leave. Instead, I found myself nod, put on my heels, and follow the golden-haired girl out the front door.

Helga's pov:  
"…CRIMINEY!" I yelled out. I stood there panting. Mai stared at me as though I were a crazy person. Maybe I am. I half expected her to point me out her door. Imagine my surprise when she actually followed me out.  
We headed in silence for the Boarding House. I hadn't warned her that it would be a long walk. I looked at her heels and grimaced. _How can she walk in those?_ I decide to inform her of our long expedition.  
"You know, the Boarding House your father lives at…well, it's on the other side of the city."  
She nods.  
"It'll probably take an hour to walk there."  
"I know."  
"Are you sure you don't want to go back? Those heels must be killing you."  
"You're wearing socks."  
"Touché."  
We continue walking. The silence has become awkward. Mai looks at me quizzically.  
"So, you know my father?"  
"Yeah, I've met him a few times."  
"Oh? What's he like?"  
"Well, he's nice. Kinda shy though. Oh and he works at my favorite American/Mexican restaurant."  
"Really? I love Mexican food!"  
"Great. You already have something in common."  
We talk the rest of the way to Sunset Arms. Mostly about Mr. Hyunh. I also found that Mai is a social worker who absolutely loves kids. She also likes art, which we both ramble about.  
Finally, the red house comes into view. It's nearly eight. _Perfect timing!_  
"Now, remember. You walk up, ring the bell and wait. The old man who runs the place, Phil, will answer. You tell him you're looking for Mr. Hyunh, got it?"  
Mai nods, then looks concerned: "Aren't you coming?"  
"Me? No. I have to go. I've brought you this far, but I can't go in there."  
"Why?"  
"I just can't, ok? But I promise I'll be right here, rooting for you. You can do this. You deserve this chance to be with your father."  
Mai smiles, "Ok, miss, thank you. Oh by the way, what's your name?"  
"That's not important." I say, no point in letting her know my name and thereby destroying the Christmas miracle I've created for my beloved. Mai stares at me sadly and I realize how much I'll miss her short-lived company. I smile and give her a thumbs-up. She takes a deep breath and rings the bell. I step back so that I'm hidden away by the shadows of the building and creep up to the window to get a good view. I look in the living room to find Arnold, Gerald and all the boarders sitting around. They've all opened their presents, except for Mr. Hyunh, who stands hunched over the fireplace.  
As soon as the bell rings, Arnold's grandpa gets up from his spot and heads into the hallway. I hear the door open up. I see Arnold next to Gerald. He looks depressed and my heart lurches for him. Then I remember my surprise, standing at the door, waiting to be let in. I am so excited, I almost burst. Suddenly, I see Arnold's grandpa reenter the room. A large smile is plastered on his face. He steps aside, revealing Mai. Arnold's jaw drops and Mr. Hyunh turns around. As soon as he sees Mai, a look of shock and overwhelming joy spreads over his face. Mai seems to have recognized her dad instantly and beams as he rushes forward to hug her.  
Satisfied that my work is done, I slink away before anyone can spot me. Just before I enter the snow-filled street, I turn back to the boarding house and whisper: "Merry Christmas, Arnold."


End file.
